Blackshade's Light
by Cloudy Dreamcatcher
Summary: Blackshade is just an ordinary cat, until all around them, cats start dying. A secret is being kept deep in StarClan, and a ghost from the past becomes an awful enemy.
1. Allegiances

SplashClan

LEADER **Olivestar-** black and white tom

DEPUTY **Darkrose-** black she-cat, purple eyes

MEDICINE CAT **Goldenfeather-** gold and white she-cat

WARRIORS **Pebblestride-** red tabby tom, aqua eyes

 **Badgerstripe-** gray tabby tom

 **Silverfern-** silver she-cat, green eyes

 **Slatefire-** dark gray she-cat, yellow eyes

Apprentice-Nightpaw

 **Larkfur-** brown tom, blue eyes

 **Kestrelscar-** battle-scarred gray tom

 **Paleheart-** very pale red she-cat

 **Patchstep-** white tom with black and white paws

 **Deerpuddle-** brown she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice-Ravenpaw

 **Bouncepad-** orange tom with yellow eyes

 **Leafslip-** creamy white tom

 **Frogstep-** black tabby tom

 **Breezethroat-** black she-cat

 **Stormspot-** gray she-cat with black patches

 **Curlstep-** ginger she-cat, milky blue eyes

 **Blackshade-** gray and black she-cat

QUEENS **Brindleleaf-** brown she-cat (mother to Vinekit and

Birchkit)

 **Ivypuddle** -silver and black she-cat (mother to

Barkkit, Spiderkit, Podkit, and Dropkit)

 **Stormfeather-** dark gray she-cat (mother to Dewkit,

Whitekit, and Tigerkit)

APPRENTICES **Nightpaw-** black she-cat with amber eyes

 **Ravenpaw-** black she-cat with green eyes

ELDERS **Larchwing-** white tom

 **Fawnwhisper** -light brown she-cat

 **Tallberry-** ancient ginger tom

KITS **Vinekit-** white tabby she-cat

 **Birchkit-** light brown tom

 **Barkkit-** dark brown she-cat

 **Spiderkit-** black and white she-cat

 **Podkit-** tiny tortoiseshell she-cat

 **Dropkit-** blue tom

 **Dewkit-** sickly beige tom

 **Whitekit-** delicate white tom

 **Tigerkit-** tabby striped brown tom


	2. Prolouge

"Is she the one?" Mistflake whirled on her companion."The light?"

The other cat, a brown tom with gray ears looked uncomfortable. "I guess." he meowed.

"There's no guessing in StarClan, Hollowsky!" snapped Mistflake, her downy white pelt pricking in annoyance.

"Blackshade has proved her loyalty to her Clan many times over…" she hesitated. "But the time has come."

"The time when it happens?" asked Hollowsky.

Mistflake dipped her head. "Yes." She turned to face her friend. "If she survives these- these incidents, she will take on the burden of the prophecy."

Hollowsky nodded thoughtfully. "Let's consult with Dewflame." he meowed after a moment.

"Dewflame!" called Mistflake. A blue-gray she-cat padded into the starlit hollow, her pelt glittering with moonshine. The orange patches on it turned gray.

"What do you need?" she snapped crossly. Hollowsky approached her cautiously.

"Blackshade. We must tell you what's happening." Dewflame whirled around, brief panic sparking in her gaze. When she came to face Hollowsky and Mistflake, the anger was unmistakeable, making Hollowsky's pelt feel hot under its glow.

"Blackshade?" she croaked. "What have you done?" she faced Mistflake. "You haven't chosen _her_ for the prophecy?" she meowed urgently.

"Why wouldn't we? She's a loyal, good cat." Hollowsky responded, sounding slightly guilty. He hadn't meant to anger Dewflame.

"Didn't you look at all into her future? Just for reassurance?" Dewflame groaned.

"N-no." Mistflake answered. "I didn't see the point."

"Don't you know what's going to happen to her?" Dewflame reeled.

"Well, there's going to be some bad things, but nothing is going to happen to Blackshade, surely?" Hollowsky stammered.

"You fools!" Dewflame yowled. "You fluff-brained, mouse-hearted…" she stormed out of the clearing until her insults had faded away.

"Weasel-leap!" Hollowsky called for reassurance. Mistflake glanced at him before calling her parents.

"Cloudstream! Haymist!" In a heartbeat, a wiry ginger tom had entered the clearing, closely followed by a silver and white she-cat and a dusty-yellow tom.

"What is it?" meowed Weasel-leap crankily.

"Dewflame says something is going to happen to Blackshade." Mistflake admitted.

Fear flashed in the gazes of all three cats. "You picked Blackshade?" Cloudstream said gently, but with an edge to her tone.

"Y-yes." Hollowsky ducked his head in embarrassment. All these cats seemed to think it was wrong!

"What have you done?" screeched Haymist. "What have you done?"


	3. Blackshade

"Blackshade!" Ashwing's voice sounded in her head.

"Mom?" Blackshade tipped her head in confusion. Wasn't her mother supposed to be in the medicine den? Didn't she have greencough?

"Blackshade!" she turned to face her mother, Ashwing.

"Mom? What are you doing here? You have greencough! Why are you in my den?" she paused and drew in a horrified breath. Her mother's gray pelt was shimmering with starlight.

"You're dreaming." Ashwing's voice was gentle.

"How are you here? You're not-" she couldn't bring herself to say the question that had been weighing on her mind.

"I'm sorry, Blackshade. But yes. I'm dead."

"B-but-" Blackshade stammered. She was jerked out of her sleep by a yowl from the medicine den.

"Blackshade!" it was Goldenfeather. "Curlstep!" Blackshade gulped, trying to swallow the lump rising in her throat.

"What is it?" Curlstep stumbled out of the warriors den to stand next to her sister. The ginger she-cat squinted, trying to see ahead of her. She had poor eyesight, her eyes a pale, milky blue.

Blackshade laid her tail over Curlstep's shoulder. "Come with me." she meowed gently, but grief sounded in her throat.

"What's happening?" she meowed hesitantly.

The two sisters filed into the medicine den solemnly. Goldenfeather glanced at Ashwing. "I'm sorry-" she began.

"Don't be." sighed Blackshade. "It was her time."

"No!" cried Curlstep. "It wasn't!"

Goldenfeather cringed. Blackshade turned on her. "Give her something for the shock." Goldenfeather pushed a mixture of thyme and poppy seeds in front of Curlstep. She gave a little to Blackshade also.

"Thankyou." Blackshade meowed.

"Curlstep, rest with me in here please." Goldenfeather pleaded.

"Yes, Curlstep. Let the others sit vigil for Ashwing." Larkfur, their father meowed sadly.

Blackshade and Goldenfeather picked up Ashwing, she was stiff and cold and Blackshade winced. When they were out of earshot of Curlstep and Larkfur, Goldenfeather rounded on Blackshade. "Aren't you upset?" she meowed.

"Yes. I am very upset." Blackshade responded.

"You don't seem surprised. Why not? I'm your medicine cat. You can tell me."

"She came to me in a dream a minute ago." Blackshade told her.

"Oh."

They laid Ashwing's body gently in the center of the clearing, and

Goldenfeather covered it in thyme and rosemary. She arranged it so that the gray she-cat looked like she was sleeping.

The Clan began to gather to hold the vigil. Blackshade buried her nose deep into her mother's sweet-smelling fur. "Goodbye." she whispered, one last time.

The elders Larchwing, Tallberry, and Fawnwhisper had buried Ashwing at dawn. Curlstep refused to come out of the warrior's den. Larkfur had agreed to stay with the ginger warrior and make sure she didn't wander off in her grief.

Darkrose had reluctantly allowed the two to be excused from patrols. She stole a glance at Curlstep and Larkfur now. Larkfur had curled himself around his daughter.

Curlstep's fluffy tail hid her muzzle.

Darkrose looked away and continued to sort the patrols. "Yes, yes. Kestrelscar, you lead a hunting patrol to Windrocks." The scarred gray tom dipped his head and beckoned with his tail to Silverfern, a silver she-cat, Slatefire, who was dark gray, and her apprentice, Nightpaw, a black she-cat.

"Pebblestride?" Darkrose looked at the red tabby. "Is your patrol ready?"

"Yes, Darkrose." Pebblestride, who was leading the border patrol, stood by Paleheart, a pale red she-cat, Deerpuddle, a brown she-cat, Badgerstripe, a gray tabby tom, and Breezethroat, a black she-cat.

Pebblestride and Kestrelscar left with their patrols, while Darkrose turned to make the dawn patrol and the other two hunting patrols.

"Blackshade, take Bouncepad and Ravenpaw. Also, Frogstep. You go too." Blackshade turned to the ginger tom and the black tabby. Then the small black apprentice dashed up to join them. "Go hunting by Snowpeaks."

"Eat quickly." Blackshade told her patrol, while snatching a vole for herself. The next hunting patrol left, consisting of Stormspot, Leafslip and Patchstep. Gray, black, white and cream blended as the three slipped through the crevice.

Blackshade sat up and washed her face.

She left at the same time as the dawn patrol. Olivestar, Stormfeather and Ivypuddle followed them through the crack in the rock, still moist from the rain the night before. Brindleleaf had agreed to watch their kits.

"Come on! Ravenpaw, catch up!" The short apprentice stumbled on her unwieldy legs in a scramble to obey Frogstep. The black tabby tom flicked his tail crossly. Ravenpaw ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Don't be too hard on her Frogstep." meowed Bouncepad. "Leafslip was the same when he was an apprentice." Frogstep grunted in response. _Toms! They're always arguing about something!_

She turned her attention on the pebble-covered trail running in front of her. She saw Stormspot's black and gray pelt flickering through the trees heading to Rushingstream. The creamy tom Leafslip followed, with Patchstep hard on his paws. Blackshade looked with admiration at the handsome tom. His white pelt was dappled with leaf shadows, and his black and white patched paws were clean and slightly damp.

No other tom had paid as much attention to her as Patchstep had, except for her father, Larkfur.

She pushed away these thoughts and concentrated on hunting. A mouse scuttled in front of quickly dropped into the hunting crouch. She quietly darted forward. She wiggled her haunches and landed on top of the mouse. She bent her neck to deliver the killing bite. The mouse fell limp in her paws.

"Nice catch." Blackshade heard a voice behind her. It was Ravenpaw. She jumped a little, lost in her own thoughts.

"Ravenpaw you scared me!" she remarked. The black apprentice blinked uneasily.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry." She sighed. She buried her catch under a nearby hazel bush.

"I haven't caught anything yet." Ravenpaw told her unhappily. "Do you think my they'll be angry with me?"

"No." soothed Blackshade "We've only been out here for a little while now."

"If you say so." she meowed before padding away into the undergrowth.

Blackshade looked for something else to hunt. A little white tail bobbed past her. Rabbit! The gray and black warrior bounded happily after this rare piece of prey. The elders would be happy with this meal, though she doubted they would thank her.

She was closing in on the rabbit, then it darted away down its hole. "Mouse dung!" she hissed. She snatched up her mouse before bounding off to find the rest of the hunting patrol. She caught a glimpse of Ravenpaw sniffing the air.

 _Bouncepad!_ She could see his orange pelt up ahead. But something was wrong. She burst into the grove where her Clanmates were. Bouncepad turned towards her.

"Frogstep!" he yowled. Blackshade whipped her head around. Frogstep lay in a crumpled heap by Patchstep.

"What happened?" Blackshade meowed urgently.

"He was attacked by a badger!" gasped Patchstep, flanks heaving. Blackshade noticed that he had long scratches down his side, but Bouncepad seemed uninjured.

She rushed over to Frogstep. His black fur was matted with blood, and his flanks were barely moving in quick, shallow breaths.

Ravenpaw pushed her way through the undergrowth behind Patchfoot. She was proudly carrying a sparrow, freshly caught. As soon as she caught sight of Frogstep she dropped her prey in horror.

"Badger." Bouncepad meowed grimly.

"What happened?" the rest of Patchstep's patrol joined them. Stormspot stared in surprise at Frogstep. "We need to get him back to camp!"

"It's too late for that." Blackshade told them. "He's dead."

"No!" shrieked Ravenpaw. Frogstep was her and Nightpaw's father. Patchfoot laid his tail on the apprentice's shoulder.

"We need to carry him back to camp so the Clan can hold vigil." he meowed gently.

Ravenpaw stumbled numbly back to camp, leaning on Patchstep. Stormspot, Leafslip, and Rushingstream carried Frogstep. Bouncepad and Blackshade walked in the rear. _Right after Ashwing!_ She thought. _And Mistflake, just before that! Has StarClan cursed SplashClan?_


	4. The Withered Petal

Blackshade blinked open her eyes. _I slept!_ She thought guiltily. She looked up at the sky. It was just before sunrise, and pale gray light spilled onto Frogstep's lifeless body. At a vigil, you weren't supposed to sleep.

Ravenpaw, Nightpaw, Breezethroat, Goldenfeather, and Patchstep crouched next to her. A heartbeat later, when the watery yellow sun broke over the horizon, Blackshade stood up and stretched.

Goldenfeather left to tend to her duties, and Patchstep went to the warriors den to sleep. Blackshade thought about following him, but told herself that she had slept half the vigil, and she didn't need to sleep.

Ravenpaw, Nightpaw, and Breezethroat, his mate and kits, were going to stay as long as they could. Blackshade was feeling overwhelmed with the death that was swamping them. First, Mistflake had been found mysteriously dead, stretched out on Windrocks. Then Ashwing had been taken by greencough. Now Frogstep. Would it ever end?

Darkrose padded out of her den. _I'll need to join a patrol._ She thought. Cats began to make their way out of their dens. Larchwing gently nudged Breezethroat to her paws. Fawnwhisper and Tallberry shooed Ravenpaw and Nightpaw back into the apprentice's den. Darkrose watched as they carried Frogstep's body away for burial, before sorting out the patrols.

"Deerpuddle, Patchstep, Paleheart, Blackshade, and Kestrelscar," she flicked her tail toward each warrior in turn. "Find that badger and drive it off our territory."

The five warriors separated from the crowd to gulp down some of last night's prey. While she chewed a stale thrush, Blackshade watched the patrols leave.

"Bouncepad, Stormspot, and Rushingstream, hunting." Darkrose instructed. "I'll lead another one. Curlstep, you can come with Larkfur."

Olivestar slipped out of his den. "Badgerstripe, Pebblestride, and Slatefire! Dawn patrol." The black and white leader paused beside the gorse tunnel. "And all of you, don't go off on your own. There is something much worse than badgers and greencough out there."

Five shapes bounded through the forest. Pale leaf-bare sunlight dappling their pelts. Patchstep led the way, his white pelt shining like ivory, and the black on his paws glistened.

Next came Kestrelscar, his tattered gray fur almost invisible against the silver background. Kestrelscar stopped to push Paleheart, who was falling behind. Her pale red fur was an easy target for foxes and badgers, meaning that Kestrelscar, an experienced warrior, would have to keep by her side.

Deerpuddle dashed after them, her fur appeared almost cream in the gray forest. Blackshade lagged behind the others, lost in thought. She knew that a fox seeing her would not be a problem, her silver and gray coat could not be seen by her Clanmates, let alone a stupid fox.

She thought back to yesterday afternoon. Frogstep lying motionless in the bloodstained snow. Ravenpaw's wild look of terror.

Her mind drifted to two nights ago, and her bittersweet dream. Ashwing's cold, still body.

Blackshade's thoughts settled on that horrific night, a half moon ago, when Pebblestride had skidded into camp, yowling terribly. Olivestar himself went with Pebblestride, and soon they had returned, carrying the body of Mistflake between them.

She had been made a warrior only a moon earlier, before she was found dead on Windrocks. Suddenly a blinding vision flashed into her mind.

"Mistflake…" Blackshade opened her eyes to see a strange yellow tom soothing Mistflake. "It's not that bad."

"It's awful, Sunbeam!" the white she-cat exclaimed. "What can I possibly do?"

The two cats were standing on Windrocks. That was when Blackshade heard it. The crack as an old ash tree fell. The same tree that had fallen that night…

"I can't go on being your mate any longer! SplashClan and BreezeClan cats aren't supposed to mix! I'm going to admit to my Clan what I've done. And you should too, Sunbeam."

Sunbeam gave a sly snarl. "Oh, Mistflake. I don't plan on doing anything of the sort."

Blackshade didn't realize what had happened until it was over. Sunbeam had thrust his claws into her neck. Mistflake lay on the ground, blood flowing freely from her throat.

"Help her!" screeched Blackshade. "Do something you fox-heart!" Blackshade knew this would be pointless. These cats couldn't hear her.

She was forced to watch, immobile, as Mistflake's chest stopped moving, her heart stopped beating, the blood finally ceasing to flow. The young she-cat's eyes glassed over.

Sunbeam made a clean job of it. He made sure no fur was left behind, and then rubbed out the scent with wild garlic. He stood on the edge of Windrocks for a second, looking at a job well done. That was when he slipped. He fell down the forty foot cliff, landing hard in the river below. Blackshade looked down and gasped. His body was impaled on a sharp rock, one of the many deadly points in the valley.

By morning, Blackshade knew, Sunbeam's body would be washed away, never to be seen again.

Blackshade barely had a heartbeat in which to breathe before being swept into the next one.

A lovely gray she-cat lay in a nest in Goldenfeather's den, fast asleep.

 _Ashwing!_ Blackshade realized with a pang. She heard herself cry out in sleep, and knew it was the time. Ashwing fell still. That was when Blackshade noticed. There was something bright yellow caught in Ashwing's fur. Blackshade snagged it with her claw to examine it. This was strange… she had moved something in her vision. She tried to touch Ashwing, but to no avail. This must be something important. Blackshade looked closely. It was a yellow tuft of fur. But whose? Probably Goldenfeather's… but no!

"Mistflake…" she heard the voice. Sunbeam flashed before her eyes. But how?

Then she had moved on. She was staring down at a bloody patch of ground in a cold hollow. Badger prints crisscrossing the ground. She heard a rustle and her own voice as the patrol left with Frogstep's body. And there it was. A yellow tuft of fur. Sunbeam's fur. It was lying on the bloodiest part of the ground.

But Sunbeam was dead… how could this have happened? How had he…

"No!" she gasped.


	5. Realization

"Blackshade! Blackshade! Wake up!"

A voice rung in Blackshade's ears. She slowly blinked open her eyes. She was lying deep in the snow. The other members of her patrol were standing around her.

Running through the forest now seemed like moons ago. Patchstep was gazing worriedly at her. Kestrelscar, Paleheart, and Deerpuddle clustered close by.

"We've been trying to wake you for ages!" Deerpuddle exclaimed. "Are you OK?"

"You kept mumbling in your sleep." added Kestrelscar.

"Sunbeam. That was what you said. Over and over." Paleheart told her.

"What does that mean?" Kestrelscar inquired. "Is it a cat?"

"Um… I forgot." Blackshade lied. "It was probably nothing."

"It was pretty weird." Paleheart pointed out unnecessarily. Kestrelscar and Deerpuddle nodded their agreement.

The only cat who had remained silent the entire time was Patchstep. He stood motionless, watching her with an unwavering gaze. Blackshade glanced uneasily at him.

Even as she watched, she saw Patchstep go stiff and rigid. A russet shape closed its jaws on Kestrelscar. Before anyone could spring to his aid, they heard the crunch of tooth on bone, and Kestrelscar was dead.

"No!" screeched Paleheart. The four cats sprang forward, pummeling the fox with all of their might. Soon the fox fell back panting, but not before diving in to grab Deerpuddle's leg. The warrior yowled with anger, grief and pain.

Unable to stand watching the cats hurt and kill her Clanmates, Blackshade sprung in and latched onto the fox's neck. The fox swerved and bit hard into her throat, but still she held on. The fox whimpered in pain and collapsed, dead, on the bloodsoaked ground.

 _Where am I?_ Blackshade looked around this vast green hollow. She looked down, but the wound on her neck was gone. Whispers echoed around her. She pricked her ears to listen.

She could catch brief strands of some cat's voice. "Goldenfeather!... More cobwebs… Curlstep, and you, Pebblestride…"

Blackshade blocked out their sounds and focused on her surroundings. "Hello." Blackshade jumped, her fur standing on end.

"Where am I?" she asked the voice.

"Don't you know? Look around you." Blackshade still wasn't sure. "I would have thought you'd recognize StarClan of all places!" mocked the voice, though not unkindly.

"Where are you?"

"I'm right here." A downy white she-cat stepped out of the shadows.

"M-Mistflake?" stuttered Blackshade in astonishment.

"Yes." the starry cat responded.

"Am I… dead?" Blackshade asked, panicked.

"Not yet." Mistflake told her. "I suppose you _do_ remember the visions?"

Blackshade blushed. "Yes."

"Then you know of Sunbeam."

"Of course."

"You wonder how he could kill cats, though he is dead." Mistflake concluded. "You begin to doubt what you saw."

Blackshade ducked her head. "Well, if he didn't die, then how could his fur be everywhere?"

"Have you ever been told of the Dark Forest?" Mistflake said.

"It's just a tale for kits." Blackshade told her haughtily.

"No. Actually it is quite true." Mistflake sighed. "That is where Sunbeam resides. He was not there physically, but he is causing these deaths. The yellow fur was only something a very gifted cat could see. Like you, Blackshade."

"Blackshade, there is one more thing you need to know…" Mistflake turned to her. "Listen, Blackshade, I-"

"No!" A brown cat burst into the clearing. "Hurry Mistflake! Look!"

"Hollowsky, now?" she hissed.

Hollowsky was staring at her in an odd way. She looked down at her paws. "No!" she yowled. Star specks glittered on her fur.

Mistflake looked taken aback. "She's dead!"

"No, no, no!" cried Blackshade.

"Oh no…" Hollowsky remarked. "This is very bad."


	6. The Shining Star

"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Blackshade. "I'm only ten moons old!"

"This is bad… this is very bad…" mumbled Hollowsky, pacing farther away.

"Why do you care so much?" Blackshade asked him.

Hollowsky glanced uneasily at Mistflake. "Should I tell her?"

Mistflake shook her head. "Not yet."

"Tell me what?" Blackshade growled.

"Later. Right now, we need to do something!"

"What can you do?" Blackshade raged. "I'm dead!"

"Oh… this is very, very, bad!" Hollowsky muttered, pacing again.

"Would you QUIT saying that!" screeched Blackshade.

Hollowsky winced. "Sorry."

"I told you! I told you and you wouldn't listen to me!" A voice echoed around the hollow.

"Who's that?" Hollowsky snapped. An orange and gray she-cat was standing behind them. "Oh. It's you, Dewflame."

"I warned you!" she snarled. "I told you Blackshade was not the right choice!"

"The right choice for what?" Blackshade screeched. "Why won't anybody explain what is happening."

Dewflame fixed a cold stare on Mistflake. "You haven't told her?"

"No. I didn't think she was ready!" Dewflame glared at her and the white she-cat cringed.

"What about Sunbeam? Does she know about him?" Dewflame rasped.

"Yes! Yes she does! I showed her." Mistflake cried.

"She wasn't the right one, Mistflake!" Dewflame sounded exasperated. "Unless…" Dewflame turned to Blackshade. "Did you see it? Did you feel it?"

"See what?" meowed Blackshade.

"The fur you mouse-brain!"

"Sunbeam's fur?"

"Yes!" snapped Dewflame. "Did you touch it?"

"Y-Yes." she stammered.

"So I was wrong…" exclaimed Dewflame. "She is the one!"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Blackshade felt like leaping at Dewflame and clawing her fur out.

No cat answered. Dewflame looked solemnly at Blackshade. "I have an idea. It will work. I can send you back for three days. You must stop Sunbeam. You will be able to see him. But listen closely. You will return here on the third day at sundown. The only way you could stay is to defeat Sunbeam… Maybe then."

Blackshade nodded. This was very important.

"At Moonrise come to me. Hollowsky and Mistflake, stay here." They nodded.

"Blackshade, are you sure you are ready for this?" Dewflame asked.

"Yes." she breathed.

That night at moonrise, Blackshade followed Dewflame to a small pool. It was in a stone hollow, and a winding trail led down to it. The moon reflected off the water's surface.

"Where are we?" Blackshade asked in awe.

"Welcome to the Moonpool." Dewflame meowed. "In this place, four other Clans gather to share tongues with StarClan. Tonight, we will use its power to get you back."

"I'm ready." Blackshade whispered.

"Step into the water." Dewflame instructed.

Blackshade did as she was told.

"Brr.. It's cold!"

Dewflame almost snarled. "Just do it!"

When Blackshade was belly deep in the icy water, Dewflame called for Splashstar. Splashstar was the founder of Blackshade's Clan.

The beautiful ginger and white she-cat climbed down the narrow path. "Hello, Blackshade." she murmured. "Stand still.

A bright light flashed over the pool. Blackshade gazed up at the countless stars dotting the heavens. One shone brighter than all of them. A silver beam of dazzling light flooded down from that single star, enveloping Blackshade in it's beauty.

Her belly fur was dry. The water surrounding her was gone. Blackshade laid still on the ground, perfectly motionless, afraid of what was happening. She felt warm noses pressed into her fur.

 _What's going on?_ Larkfur's scent wreathed around her, and Curlstep's snaked its way into her scent glands. There was another cat, too. Patchstep. _They're sitting vigil… for me!_

They were so numb with grief they hadn't noticed her faint breathing. Blackshade opened her eyes, lifting her head.

Curlstep was fast asleep, but Patchstep nearly jumped out of his skin. Larkfur sprung to his paws, astounded.

"Blackshade?" he meowed, confused. "Am I dreaming?"

"No." she whispered.

Larkfur nudged Curlstep awake, still staring at her in a mixture of joy and awe. "But-you died! The fox bite…"

Patchstep touched noses with her. "I don't really care how you're still alive, just that you are."

Curlstep nodded in agreement, a dazed expression in her milky-blue eyes.

Blackshade sat up. "How long have I been dead?" she asked, realizing the strangeness of the question.

"Since yesterday at sun-high!" Curlstep cried, in an almost scolding manner.

"B-but how?" Larkfur was still in shock. "I'm dreaming… I have to be dreaming…

"I'll explain this all later. It's a long story."

"We have time." Patchstep told her.

So Blackshade told them how she had visited StarClan, and had been sent back. She left out the part about Sunbeam, just saying that she was needed.

The three cats willingly accepted this explanation. _I hate to lie to them-But it's for their own good._


	7. The Announcement

Blackshade followed her father, sister, and friend up to Goldenfeather's den. The Clan was still fast asleep, dawn's pale light just barely breaking over the horizon.

"Your wound is gone!" remarked Curlstep, and Blackshade discovered this to be true, thankfully.

"What in StarClan!" screeched Goldenfeather. So she had caught sight of them. "Blackshade?"

Blackshade sighed and flopped down, recounting her story to Goldenfeather, still excluding Sunbeam.

"B-But.." Goldenfeather stammered. By now the rest of the Clan had woken up, and Patchstep shoved Blackshade into the medicine cat's den.

"I'm sorry, but you need to stay in there so the Clan doesn't panic. Just wait a minute."

Blackshade nodded, and found a nice cranny where she could watch the cats gather. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the highrock for a Clan meeting!"

All the cats below turned in surprise at hearing their medicine cat instead of their leader.

Pebblestride was the first to comment on this. "Goldenfeather! The highrock is for the Clan leader!" he snarled.

The gold and white she-cat glared at him. "I have a very important announcement to make!" she stated.

Olivestar emerged from his shadowy den. "What's going on?" he asked.

Goldenfeather gave him a piercing stare which soon silenced the leader, who dipped his head in respect. "As you all know," she began, "Blackshade died of her wound last night, just after Kestrelscar."

The cats sitting in the snow let out moans of grief. Deerpuddle and Paleheart were outside the warriors den, Deerpuddle dragging her injured leg behind her. They had buried Kestrelscar the night before, on Goldenfeather's orders. She was worried that other foxes would track the scent.

"Well, this morning, something happened," she meowed intently. "Blackshade was sent back by StarClan."

The Clan gasped in awe. Some of them protested.

"You're just trying to make things seem better than they are!" piped up Badgerstripe. "We all saw her dead! StarClan couldn't have sent her back!"

"Ya!" added Slatefire. "Even StarClan doesn't have that power!"

Blackshade watched all this in silence, hidden in the rocks. More and more cats started rejecting Goldenfeather's words, and Blackshade sighed and stepped out of her hiding place. She padded into the clearing without making a sound.

A ripple of absolute amazement went through the Clan, and the cats who had been yowling, feeling cheated, choked on their words.

"Blackshade?" Olivestar called. "Is that actually you?"

She sniffed her pelt and looked up. "I think so." she told him. The rest of the cats just stood there looking like it had started raining badgers.

Olivestar padded up to her. "Welcome back then!" he exclaimed.

The Clan broke out of their stunned silence and raced over to ask her questions. Slatefire and Badgerstripe hung back uncomfortably. The first to reach her were the kits, bouncing with joy. Vinekit leaped onto her back, and the white tabby she-cat squealed, "Badger ride, badger ride!"

"Come on Blackshade! Please!" pleaded the light brown kit, Birchkit. Barkkit nodded in agreement, her dark brown fur puffed up to twice its size against the chill leaf-bare wind.

The three kits clambered on, as they were planning to do whether or not she wanted them, and the black and white she-kit Spiderkit, along with Podkit, a tiny tortoiseshell she-cat, were quick to follow.

Dewkit sat unhappily on the ground, his beige pelt matted. "Mommy I don't feel good!" he groaned, and Stormfeather scooped him up to take to the nursery.

Dropkit turned away from Blackshade, who was staggering under the weight of the five kits, and leaped at Tigerkit, his blue pelt dusted with snow. Tigerkit responded in a flash, and soon the two toms were battling. When Whitekit saw that his brother's tabby fur was now merged with Dropkit's, he bounded back towards the nursery, where Dewkit was.

Soon enough, Blackshade had managed to free herself of the kits, who had begged for more until she had firmly put her paw down. "I'm just going to walk around outside." she told anyone who asked, which was partly true.

She was going to walk around, but she would be paying close attention for signs that Sunbeam had been there.

There was a piece of fur up in that branch! Blackshade realized. From this far below she could not tell the color, though.

When she reached it, it was mingled brown and gray. She gave it a good sniff. The scent seemed familiar, but she couldn't place it. Blackshade moved on. If it became important, she would report it to Olivestar. "Great StarClan! I forgot how much I loath water!" rang out a voice up ahead. Blackshade dashed to see who it was.

"Adder!" Another voice screeched. "Oh, wait, sorry. It was a twig."

Blackshade burst onto the river bank. There stood two cats. One looking frustrated, the other, very confused.

It was a she-cat and a tom. One white, one brown.

"Oh, StarClan!" exclaimed Blackshade. The two cats spun around, guilt heavy in their eyes.

"Uh-oh…" meowed Hollowsky.


	8. From Another World

"Hollowsky!" meowed Blackshade in an agitated tone. "Mistflake! What are you doing here?" She looked into the two StarClan cats guilty faces.

"We're really sorry, Blackshade," began Mistflake. "We were going to hide out for the three days, and we hoped you would never even know." she admitted.

"We-well,- I snuck after you and Dewflame," Hollowsky declared, coming clean as soon as possible.

"And I followed him," added Mistflake, angling her ears toward her brown and gray friend.

"We saw all that happened," Hollowsky managed. "And we got too close…"

"So you accidentally got transported back to earth with me." Blackshade finished for him.

The two nodded. "Like I said, we are really, really sorry!" Mistflake stuck on.

"Well, I can't just leave you out here, because, well, obvious reasons."

"Hey! I haven't forgotten how to take care of myself!" protested Mistflake.

Blackshade flicked her tail at Hollowsky, who was now belly-deep in water soaked moss from the side of the river. "Um, Mistflake?" he called.

The two she-cats sighed and padded over to haul him out of the murky river.

"Honestly, Hollowsky. We have rivers in StarClan!" scolded Mistflake as he shook himself dry.

"I'm a BreezeClan cat!" he protested. "I don't swim!" Mistflake rolled her eyes.

"We need to get going, guys." Blackshade meowed. "There are still badgers and foxes out here, not to mention Su-"

Her meow was cut short by another. "Who?"

The three cats spun around to face Olivestar. "Um.. Olivestar…" Blackshade stammered.

"Who is your friend?" inquired the Clan leader.

" _Friend?"_ she thought. " _There were two StarClan cats!"_

Blackshade turned back to Hollowsky and… but where was Mistflake? Hollowsky was crouched by a large juniper bush, and Blackshade caught a glimpse of a snow-white someone inside.

Hollowsky backed away from the bush. " _Of course! If Olivestar saw Mistflake, he would recognize her!"_

But there was a worse problem brewing. Olivestar glared at Blackshade. "You come back from the dead somehow, and the first thing you do is go to your-your mate- from another Clan?"

"What?" Blackshade meowed, surprised. "He-Hollowsky isn't-"

"His scent is of BreezeClan." The black and white tom pointed out.

"No, you're getting this wrong!" Blackshade told him.

"I did pass through BreezeClan on the way here," reflected Hollowsky, with a wink at Blackshade and a discreet flick of his tail for her to be quiet. "Maybe I picked up their scent. I only stayed there for two days."

"Why did you come here?" demanded Olivestar.

"Oh, Blackshade-she-she told me about a relative of mine who-um-died." he meowed, a glassy look in his eye.

"Who are you related to? Where are you from?" Olivestar shot question after question, and the not particularly bright Hollowsky struggled to keep up with them.

"I'm from…"

"RiverClan!" hissed Blackshade.

"Ah, yes, what Blackshade said. Anyway, my mother, Clearsnow, well her sister was Iceshine, and-"

"Mistflake's mother…" muttered Olivestar.

"Yes, and so… Blackshade told me what happened." he finished.

"Ah, I see." Olivestar dipped his head to Hollowsky. "Accompany me

back to camp."

Hollowsky was very relieved that Olivestar believed him, and followed without hesitation.

Blackshade bounded after them, before she remembered Mistflake. "Um, Olivestar, I'll be there in a sec."

"What is it?"

"Squirrel," invented Blackshade.

When Olivestar was far away, Blackshade dashed to the juniper where Mistflake was hiding.

"Blackshade!" she cried. "I was afraid you'd forgotten."

"No! Of course not!" scoffed Blackshade. "Come on, get out."

When Mistflake had squeezed through a gap in the prickly bush, and was licking herself clean, Blackshade drifted off into her own thoughts. _Are Hollowsky and Mistflake really related? And what am I going to do about Mistflake? She can't be found!_

When Blackshade looked up again, Mistflake was slumbering on the sandy bank. "Stop now." rang out a voice from across the river.

"Who said that?" snapped Blackshade.

"I did, of course." meowed the yellow tabby tom on the other side. "I can do anything I want."


	9. Vanquished Salvation

"Sunbeam?" Blackshade exclaimed. "Oh this is too soon…"

` "Blackshade what are you doing?" It was Olivestar. "Why didn't you come back to camp?"

"S-S-Sunbeam…" Blackshade stuttered on.

"Wake up!" Olivestar hissed. "Larkfur is dead."

Blackshade spun around and wailed "What?"

"Curlstep is seriously wounded," Olivestar meowed grimly. "Darkrose is dead, too."

"Oh no!" Blackshade cried. "This is awful… With Sunbeam out… and-"  
"Blackshade! What's going on?" A tiny squeak interrupted her. Blackshade groaned. Sunbeam remained motionless except for the occasional flick of his tail. Blackshade looked down at the helpless kit.

"Oh, Tigerkit! Go back to camp!"

A queen burst through the undergrowth. "Tigerkit! What are you doing?" Stormfeather cried.

"I followed Olivestar." the young kit replied joyfully. "He'll protect me!"

Olivestar sighed and shook his head. Blackshade jumped to her paws. "Everyone! Get back!" she screeched an alarm. Sunbeam was making his way across the river.

In a heartbeat he was nose to nose with Blackshade. She slowly backed away. "Don't make me kill you! I'll finish what that fox did!"

"Don't kill Blackshade!" scolded Tigerkit. "She's a nice cat!"

Sunbeam growled at the little tom. Tigerkit leaped in front of Blackshade, being both fearless, reckless, and incredibly destroying his mother.

"Tigerkit!" She wailed, over and over, but Olivestar held her firmly at a safe point.

"Think of your other kits, Stormfeather!" he growled. "They need you!"

"Tigerkit needs me!" But Stormfeather was helpless against Olivestar.

Sunbeam leaped forward and sank his claws deep into the brown tabby kit. The little kit's body was flung into the bushes. Mistflake, awake now joined Stormfeather's awful caterwauling at the loss of an innocent kit.

Stormfeather was a mess. Olivestar and Mistflake crouched over her.

"That's the best you can do?" Sunbeam snarled. "A puny kit?"

"Shut up you fox-heart!" Stormfeather screamed. "Just shut up!"

Sunbeam swung his tail lazily. "You do know, that when a cat comes back from StarClan, if they die in the living world, they are gone forever."

Blackshade dug her claws into the ground, baring her teeth. Sunbeam dropped into a crouch. His eyes had a malicious glint in them.

A cat screeched. It was Sunbeam. Blackshade had seen her chance and made the first move. The two were locked in combat. No one could see who was winning.

In a terrible heartbeat Blackshade was thrown onto the rock, her fur stained red. She struggled back onto her paws, but all of the others could see the blood pouring from all over her body.

Olivestar tried to face Sunbeam, but Mistflake held him back. "This is her battle!" She tried to explain, but there was evident panic in her tone.

Sunbeam darted forward. Blackshade was too weak to do anything then bat unhelpfully at her foe. When he leapt back again, Blackshade collapsed in a heap onto the sand. Sunbeam snarled malevolently, and set his paws firmly in place, preparing to pounce on Blackshade like she was a piece of prey.

Blackshade lay, bleeding and panting, on the ground. Sunbeam rocked his haunches back and forth, and a familiar glint shone in his eyes.

Blackshade lowered her head, readying herself. She lay there, and heard Sunbeam pounce, but no impact came. No slicing claws or teeth to tear her throat out.

She raised her head and looked up. A bloody body lay on the sand, getting paler and paler as it faded from view. The bright yellow fur was unharmed, except for a deep gash at the neck. _Sunbeam was dead!_ She realized. _Why wasn't anyone happy?_

Blackshade turned her gaze from their enemy. "No!" She gasped in horror. Next to Olivestar and Blackshade lay another body. It's pale white fur sparkling in the sunlight. "Oh, Mistflake!"


End file.
